Dueling Pianos at Johnny Foley's

November 23, 2015

I've just realized that I haven't shared any memories of the pacific for a while now. So it's time for a new installment! Today I want to take you to the San Francisco nightlife.

Those who know me well can tell you that I'm not a night owl. I'd rather have coffee or a quiet meal with friends than go to the club or to a party. However, there are night time events that I really enjoy. One of the funniest and most unforgettable experiences that I've had was watching a piano duel at Johnny Foley's Irish Pub in San Francisco. The music, the people, the ambiance...made it a very special night also because it was my last night in the City by the Bay.

Let me explain how it works in case you've never been to a place like this. At a piano duel there are two pianists that take turns to perform requests from the audience. Generally, tips are expected when a song request is made, and priority may be given to a song with a larger denomination bill. It's so much fun because you get to control the show! Therefore every night is different. I was amazed by the performers' talent. They'll play anything you tell them, from every era, even songs they don't know. I particularly remember someone asking them to play Angels by Robbie Williams but the pianist wasn't familiar with it (weird, right? bear in mind that Robbie isn't well-known in the US like he is in the rest of the world). So, he looked it up and played it majestically.

Image credit: only the first photo is mine. The rest are from their website.

Would you like to give it a try? Johnny Foley's is located in 243 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco. You can check out the event calendar on their site.

14 comments

That sounds like so much fun! I think I've heard of it before, maybe they have mini ones all over? Great post! I'd definitely love to see one for myself someday! :) xx KenzieBehindhazeleyes06.blogspot.com